Copyediting

Description

Copyediting is the final step in perfecting your manuscript. It’s there to catch the errors and inconsistencies that threaten your brand, ensuring that you’re selling a professional-quality product that readers can trust. Click here to speak to an editor today.

A good copyedit requires an unwavering eye, incredible patience, and extensive experience in the kinds of issues that authors and amateur editors miss during their own checks. It’s not done in a single sitting, but over several days to ensure every page receives maximum focus.

Our editors keep extensive, specialist notes, recording in fine detail anything that might need checking for consistency or accuracy later in the process.

This exhaustive service is intended to catch:

Errors in grammar, spelling, or punctuation.

Inconsistencies in spelling, capitalization, and numerals.

Misuse of words, figures of speech, or specialist terminology.

Factual inaccuracies or missing information.

Your editor will catch and correct any remaining errors in your manuscript, returning an altered document that’s ready to convert straight into e-book format. A copyedit is the final polish your work needs to meet industry standards and compete in a marketplace where readers take extensive editing as read.

To many, a copyedit can seem unnecessary, especially when they feel capable of catching major errors themselves. So why should you trust us to copyedit your manuscript?

We can be objective – A forensic copyedit requires an editor to have fresh eyes and no assumptions about what’s on the page. After months or even years of crafting a story, this is something authors just can’t expect of themselves.

We know there are mistakes – Our editors don’t wonder if there are errors in a manuscript, they know they’re there. That means they’re constantly on the hunt, applying specialist knowledge about the kind of errors that are commonly missed by untrained editors and spellcheckers alike.

We know the difference between ‘error-free’ and ‘professional’ – Avoiding outright errors is one thing, but attaining a professional standard of grammar, punctuation, and spelling is another. Our editors have the technical experience and professional reference materials to catch even the smallest errors, helping you to assure readers that your work can compete with that available through traditional publishing.

A copyedited book shows your readers that they can trust your skill and dedication as an author. It’s a reliable way to enhance their reading experience and turn one-time readers into longstanding fans.

A copyedit should be the final service performed before your manuscript is converted to an e-book. That means the manuscript should be absolutely finished (apart from any changes resulting from the copyedit) and formatted ready for e-book conversion.

Does my manuscript need to be in a particular format for the copyedit?

Yes. Please submit your manuscript as a single Word file (.doc or .docx). Do not submit your manuscript as individual chapters. The font should be size 12 with double line spacing, and it should be formatted as Times New Roman, Courier, or Sans Serif.

Please note that if submission guidelines are not followed, a nominal formatting fee may be necessary to prepare your manuscript for copyediting.

What will the editor’s feedback look like?

Your editor will make adjustments to your manuscript using tracked changes – everything they do will be visible and reversible with the click of a button. They’ll also explain their changes through comments, ensuring that you have all the information needed to make informed choices about the final form of your story.

Do I need a comprehensive edit or a copyedit?

Comprehensive edits and copyedits occur at very different times in the writing process. A copyedit should always come after a comprehensive edit, never before and never at the same time. A copyeditor is usually the last person to work on your manuscript before it is converted to an ebook.

How long will it take?

Copyediting is a thorough process that requires the editor to work in short bursts of intense concentration. For an average-length book of 70,000 words, copyediting will take around three weeks, though this is dependent on the exact length and nature of your book.

What should I do to get started?

To get started, first ensure that there’s nothing more you want to do to your book and that it’s ready for this final stage of editing. Once you’re sure, simply get in touch with us to start the copyediting process. You will be sent an invoice for 50% of the overall fee for the edit, and when this has been paid, your editor will be in touch to discuss the edit and timeframe. After that, it’s just a case of sitting back and waiting the short amount of time it will take to get your story ready for the literary marketplace.

Can I contact one of your previous authors for a reference?

If you’d like to hear what other authors thought about this service then just let us know. We’ll pass on the details of former clients who are happy to be contacted for a reference.

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What others are saying

Vala95–January 29, 2015

Bronwyn provided an excellent copyediting service for my debut novel, ‘Eternal’. She has a meticulous eye for detail and is extremely thorough in her work. Her commitment, dedication and care are exemplary and I was very impressed with her treatment of my manuscript. You could not hope for better editorial assistance than that which provides. She is also a lovely person to work with and has kept my confidence and spirits up throughout my publishing journey.

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Kristen Maxwell–May 7, 2015

Standoutbooks made all the difference. They took on my challenging project, full of technical problems, and turned it into a masterpiece. They truly improved the quality of the book and I am incredibly grateful for their expertise. Worth every penny.

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Ollie(verified owner)–September 21, 2016

Working with Standoutbooks was great. They were extremely thorough, and our final product was truly better off for it. In fact, I plan on using their editing services again in the future. For those of you debating whether or not to use their editing service, I’d recommend you give their editing services a try as they’ll prove to be well worth your while.

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5 out of 5

J.J. Palik(verified owner)–December 6, 2016

I’m a first timer with publishing my own work this year (2016). Robert Wood copy edited two of my stories and I thought he was very friendly, patient, and professional. He polished my work and made suggestions that made sense; which I appreciated and heeded 99% percent of the time. I was a little nervous about working with editors for the first time, but Standoutbooks.com as a whole has made it a good experience and I will probably be using their services again in the future and recommend them to other writers as well.

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5 out of 5 Spectacular Editing Service

Jenna Jamieson(verified owner)–February 8, 2017

Rob was very thorough and undoubtedly a tremendous asset to my book. His editing skills were impeccable, and his way of walking me through the process, answering questions along the way, and making me feel comfortable made it a smooth and easy process. He was great to work with and I know that my book has become far better because of the changes he suggested and the advice he provided. I reiterate that I am so pleased to have chosen to use Standoutbooks and highly recommend them to anyone who needs a competent editor for their manuscript. After all, it is amazing how much better my manuscript sounds after using their services.

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5 out of 5 An Excellent Service

Clint Scott(verified owner)–February 13, 2017

I needed a copyediting service for my first book project. The company I choose to help me self publish had a copyediting service which was really over priced and way outside my affordability. Standoutbooks provided an affordable and professional service that more than meet my needs.

My editor was Paige Duke and she was absolutely brilliant, she made thousands of revisions, double checked all references (including bible references) and made other really good changes and suggestions.

Paige delivered on time and really went the extra mile with the service she provided, I will definitely use Paige and Stand Out Books services in the future.

Trust me as a fellow writer, Paige and the team are worth every penny.

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5 out of 5 Highly Recommend

The Thought Finder(verified owner)–July 17, 2017

Right from when we first contacted Alex at Standout Books, we felt really happy about working with this company. They have been incredibly patient, efficient and helpful. We were nervous about working with an editor but Rob has been so supportive and encouraging from start to finish, we’ve gained confidence in our books and bettered ourselves as writers as a result. We budgeted for a copyedit, blurb and conversion on our first two books and Rob’s input has improved our work no end. He went above and beyond for us and we’re now thoroughly looking forward to doing a full comprehensive edit with him on our third book. Rob embodies the passion for writing that writers like us need to help bring our best work to fruition.

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5 out of 5 Excellent editing service

Christina(verified owner)–August 22, 2017

My editor was Fred Johnson and he did an outstanding job editing my book. I was very impressed. He was extremely thorough, and he caught inconsistencies that nobody else had noticed. His suggestions really helped tighten up the writing and make the meaning clearer. The turnaround was very fast as well. Highly recommend.

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5 out of 5 Copyedit

Nancy Austin(verified owner)–August 29, 2017

Paige was a truly professional editor with microscopic eyes. She finished within the time projected and maintained effective communication throughout the process. I feel 100% more confident in the quality of my manuscript after her review. Also, the staff at Standout Books has been most helpful. They answered my numerous questions completely and honestly. I highly recommend Standout Books and Paige to any indie writers seeking help with their manuscript.

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5 out of 5 5th&Hope

Robert(verified owner)–October 23, 2017

I appreciated the attention to detail, and the ability to communicate and manage my expectations. The result exceeded my expectations. I highly recommend Standout Books edit services.

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